


a servant and the voice

by sumirufus



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Future of Despair
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-03-20
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1342303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sumirufus/pseuds/sumirufus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grima has been defeated, and things are settling down in Ylisse once more. But what of the lost child of the Exalted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	a servant and the voice

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of the Future of Despair world, but I've taken a few liberties with the roles of the children afterwards.

The exalted princess and her eleven companions had won. With the help of warriors from another world, they had triumphed over the darkness and saved their home, bringing peace and prosperity to all.

Yet, Exalt Lucina thought, as she gazed at an old portrait of her family, painted when she was merely eight years old. There was still one thing — or rather, person — missing from the picture.

"Lucina?" Cynthia's voice drew her from her thoughts, and she turned to face the captain of the new Pegasus Knights. While she mostly wore the traditional garb of a Pegasus Knight, a Plegian brooch was fastened to her uniform, a memento of the Dark Mage who had raised her: her father. She wore that brooch everywhere, as a badge of pride. Her mother, a Pegasus Knight of Ylisse, and her father, a Dark Mage of Plegia. Under their influence, Cynthia had began to craft a new class for the Knights: with her gift for Dark Magic, and talent for riding, it seemed a waste not to combine the two.

"What's wrong, Cynthia?" She questioned, brows knitting together in concern. The younger girl looked troubled, an expression that brought distress and unease to the Exalt's heart. When even the bright knight was troubled, heavy news would be inevitable.

"When Severa and I were scouting, we... Found something," She began slowly. "Well, someONE, really. And it's..." The knight took a deep breath. "It's Morgan."

Lucina's whole body froze. Her eyes widened, displaying the Brand of the Exalted in even more clarity; the same Brand her brother carried on his collarbone. 

"You've really...?" She whispered, her eyes filling with tears. After so long, after her beloved baby brother vanishing all those years ago, had they truly...?

"Yes," Cynthia affirmed. "He... Turned himself in. He was a Grimleal back— back then," The words were hard for her to say, and hard for Lucina to hear. One heard the tale of her own blood fighting against her, while the other recalled a best friend turning cloak.

"A Grimleal... Because our mother had become his Avatar?"

"I suspect so, yes," Cynthia's tone was unusually somber, though Lucina couldn't blame her. Hearing her words hurt her, hearing of her mother's untimely fate, of her brother's desire for a maternal figure in his life. "He's in the holding cells. I think Severa is still yelling at him."

She did not ask the Exalt if she wanted to see him; she already knew the answer. With a slight nod, the taller of the two turned from the portrait (old though it was, the figures were still clear; Chrom, Robin, Lucina and Morgan, smiling like they always were back then) and walked side by side with the Pegasus Knight to the holding cells beneath the castle of Ylisse.

"... Stupid stupid idiot! How could you betray us? Betray your SISTER?! You tried to... Tried to KILL us you... You..!"

Severa's angry sobs far preceded the other Pegasus Knight, and though Lucina winced at the noise, she did, in some dark corner of her heart, agree. But no matter what atrocities her brother had committed under a false mother's name, Morgan was still her family.

"Hold, Severa," Her gentle but firm words drew the twintailed girl's attention to them. Immediately, she stepped back, allowing Lucina to stand before her brother, though it was clear she still had more to say. Cynthia moved next to her, and placed her hand on her shoulder. With a disgusted "tch", Severa folded her arms and averted her gaze.

Lucina stood before her brother, seperated from her by bars, and observed him. His skin was pale, an almost sickly colour, his dark blue hair was matted, greasy and dirty. His cheeks were smudged with dried mud and blood, while his coat — their mother's old coat — was torn and falling to pieces. Amber eyes, devoid of the life and joy they once held, met her own blue ones, and she saw a maelstrom of emotion in them: of grief, anger, loneliness, regret.

"Lucina," He croaked out, his voice hoarse from its disuse. "Lucina." His knees gave way beneath him, as sobs began to rip their way from his throat.

"Morgan," She replied, kneeling down to close the distance between their heights. Gingerly, she slipped her hand between the bars and rested it on his head. His sobs seemed to intensify at the gentle gesture, and she heard him choke out words: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, it means nothing but I'm sorry."

It wasn't fair, Lucina thought as she stroked her brother's hair. It wasn't fair that she had to pass judgement on her own blood. His reasons were selfish, she couldn't argue with that. He cast aside everything and betrayed them all because he missed his mother. But he was her brother and could hide nothing from her; she could tell that his regret and sorrow was true.

"Sorry won't fix everything," She told him sternly, and he stiffened. "Sorry will not bring back comrades who died by your hand, nor will sorry change the fact that you deserted us for the Fell Dragon. The punishment for such acts is death."

At her words, she felt, rather than saw, the two Knights train their gazes on her. They knew she would never kill her own blood, the brother she loved dearly, and she could tell they were suspicious of where she was going with her words. Morgan, in the meantime, had drooped under her. She heard him take a shaky breath, and heard as he tried to calm his breathing.

"I accept my fate," He whispered. "What I've done is... I'll die," He lifted his head to meet her gaze. Tears dribbled down his cheeks as he spoke, and Lucina felt her heart ache as she saw the look in his eyes; the same look of defeat, of resignation to death that her companions had worn that day before their parents from the other world had saved them.

"No, you won't," She corrected him. "Your crimes are unforgivable, but you are still my brother," Removing her hand from his head, she reached down a grasped his hand gently. "And no matter what you've done, no matter how betrayed, and sorrowful I am, I love you. I can't kill my only kin. You will be punished, but I cannot sentence you to death." 

Bewildered, Morgan stared at Lucina, disbelief clear on his face. His eyes flicked over to Severa and Cynthia, and when they voiced no complaints, he began to sob again, clutching his sister's hand as though it was a lifeline.

\---

A small party of Lucina's closest friends accompanied her and Morgan to his punishment. Lucina and her betrothed, Inigo, rode either side of Morgan, who had been cleaned and fed prior. Cynthia and Severa rode ahead, scouting the skies for any brigands or bandits. Behind them were Brady and Gerome, protecting the rear of the party. All aside from Lucina and Cynthia refused to speak to Morgan, and their animosity was palpable. The ex-Grimleal could feel Gerome and Brady glaring daggers into the back of his head, and though it hurt, he did not judge them for it. 

The journey to Mount Prism was long, and tiring, but he comforted himself in the knowledge that their arrival would bring him to Naga— Tiki's shrine, where his redemption could begin. He would work for the rest of his life to ensure that he could make up for some of his sin; to repair as much damage as he could.

Yarne and Noire were waiting for them at the base of the mountain. The two had married shortly after Lucina had become Exalt, and moved to Mount Prism, both to ensure Yarne's safety, and so that Noire could fill the role her father had; like Libra, she would serve the Divine Dragon and her Voice. 

Lucina's party dismounted, and were welcomed to the couple's house at the base of the mountain. Noire led the majority in, but Yarne remained with Morgan outside. 

The taguel stood before his human friend — his former best friend — and thought. How different things were now; Morgan, who had always been a step ahead of him, who had always been surrounded by smiles and friends, was now alone. Whilst he, a coward who was afraid of everything, had grown and become a hero. He had married, and grown up. 

They were twenty and nineteen now, Yarne being older than Morgan by a few months, but now, the taguel felt as though he were looking at a child.

"You've changed," He told the human simply, trying and failing to disguise the quaver in his voice. "You've... Really changed, Morgan."

The shorter male shrugged helplessly, though he didn't meet Yarne's gaze.

"I did stupid things," He replied. "I was selfish and did horrible, unforgivable things. You're right, Yarne, I've changed. But not in a good way," So saying he gestured to the taguel. "You've changed, too. You're a hero, and you're married, too. You've gone forward. I'm just... Stuck."

"But you came here for a reason, right? You came here to repent," Hesitantly, Yarne placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder. "You're taking a step forward. That's change too."

Morgan gazed up at him, almost in wonder, though he didn't say anything. After a moment of silence, he let go of the shorter male and gestured for him to follow him inside.

**Author's Note:**

> not a very interesting chapter i admit but hopefully things will pick up
> 
> i've got the majority of the second chapter done which features a lovely confrontation with nah
> 
> this probably won't be a very long fic at all oh well


End file.
